The much-awaited iPhone 5 was finally
launched last month by Apple. No doubt, the new iDevice is sleeker and
has an elegant design and user interface. But is it the best smartphone
on the market? The iPhone 5 still lacks many useful features that are
there in Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy III. Here's our wish-list of 10 such features that we would like Apple to add to the iPhone to make it the smartest phone.
1. Find your way with Google Maps
Apple dropped Google Maps from iOS 6 and introduced its own app –
Maps. So far, the application has been a disaster. Users reported
glitches such as missing landmarks and the addition of altogether new
places. Most Android phones come with Google Maps pre-installed or it
can be downloaded from the Play Store. Google Maps is much more accurate
than Apple's Maps. Keeping business rivalry aside, Apple should have
left customers to decide for themselves which mapping app they want to
use. After all, the customer is the king.
2. Customize your phone's interface
Are you bored of the default UI of your phone? Well, if you have an
Android, you can change it with different home screen launchers. Many of
the default features of Android can be swapped with third-party
alternatives that are available on the Play Store. But this isn't
possible on the iPhone. The open source nature of Android makes it
highly customizable. This is the biggest advantage that Android phones
have over the iPhone. However, Android being an open source platform is
also vulnerable to malware. You can always use a mobile security
solution to keep away the malicious threats.
3. Interactive Widgets
If you like interactive widgets, Android has just the thing for you.
Android supports widgets which give you a whole lot of information at a
glance. Take your pick from widgets that give you access to the phone's
settings, apps, details about the battery life, weather information, and
lots more. The widgets resize automatically according to the screen of
your phone.
4. Use SD cards to expand the storage space
If you buy a 16GB iPhone 5 and soon run out of storage space, there's
no way you can add more memory. Of course, you can delete some files to
make way for that extra bit of space. However, most Android phones use
removable SD cards that you can easily upgrade.
5. Make payments on the go with NFC
How about making payments by just tapping your phone on a reader? Or
instantly share files between phones by placing them back to back? Yes,
it's all possible on the latest Android phones such as the Samsung
Galaxy S III with NFC (Near Field Communication). The iPhone 5 doesn't
support NFC, however, the Bump app offers the same functionality of file
sharing as the S-Beam feature on the Galaxy S III.
6. Use the standard micro USB
Now Apple has come up with the mini Lightning connector that can be
used only with the new iDevices. If you want to use your old connectors,
an adaptor is required. Why doesn't Apple just support the micro USB
that's a standard across the world? The old cables could then be used
even if we upgrade to a new phone. This would also help to reduce the generation of e-waste. Android phones use the micro USB and it's so much more convenient to use them with other devices.
7. Take notes with the stylus
Knowing that Steve Jobs hated the stylus, it's not surprising that
the iPhone doesn't support pen input. But the stylus is back with a bang
with the Android-based Samsung Note II. It's much easier to quickly jot
down notes using the stylus rather than typing on the keyboard. The
stylus also offers many other cool features such as annotating images
with text, making sketches, and converting hand-written notes into text.
8. Smart gesture applications
The Samsung Galaxy S III supports a set of really awesome palm
gestures. Want to take a screenshot? Just swipe your palm over the
screen to capture an image. And if you want to pause a video, place your
palm over the screen. Shake your phone to update your Twitter feed or
to refresh your inbox. Magical, isn't it?
9. Turn over the phone to mute it
Don't want to be disturbed by a call or a notification alert? Simply
put your Galaxy S III face-down. This activates the silent mode in which
all incoming calls and alerts will be muted. Of course, there's a
silent mode in the iPhone 5 as well but the feature is not as intuitive
as the one in newer Android versions.
10. Removable battery
Most Android phones have a removable battery which isn't the case in
the iPhone. A removable battery gives you the option to use a spare one
when you go on a long trip. It will help you use your phone longer
without the need to charge it. Battery maintenance is also cheaper and
it's easier to replace a dead battery that needs to be replaced.
Do you like Android or the iPhone?
Which is your favorite phone? Is it an Android or the iPhone? Which
features you like the most in your phone? Let us know in the comments.